The 1840 Democratic National Convention was held in Baltimore. The Democrats nominated PresidentMartin Van Buren for reelection in 1840 in spite of his unpopularity following the Panic of 1837. Vice PresidentRichard M. Johnson was not retained on the ticket, as he was largely seen as a liability in the 1836 election and had focused much of his time as vice president on his own economic affairs. Former President Andrew Jackson backed James K. Polk for the position of vice president, but Van Buren supported his vice president's renomination. The convention ultimately decided not to nominate a running mate for Van Buren. As a result, Van Buren became the only major party presidential nominee since the passage of the 12th Amendment to seek election without a running mate.[1]

Polk and Johnson both received electoral votes for vice president in the general election, but the Whig ticket won the election.[2]